Forty-seven Coweta County sophomores and juniors were recently honored as 2014 Georgia Governor’s Honors Program nominees.

The annual breakfast was held at the Central Educational Center on Jan. 16, and recognized the nominees to be among Coweta County’s most talented and top-performing high school students.

The nominees and their parents were honored by the principals of Coweta’s three high schools and the Central Educational Center, along with school system and community dignitaries. The event was sponsored by local businesses and organizations.

“This is one of our favorite mornings of the year,” said Superintendent Dr. Steve Barker as he welcomed the students, their parents and many guests to the CEC cafeteria.

He congratulated the students on being nominated, and encouraged them to give their all in the coming interviews which will determine their acceptance to this year’s program.

“When I speak to students who return from Governor’s Honors…they all say ‘it really changed my life,’” he said.

Several of the talented nominees performed at the event, including East Coweta High vocalist Keeley Thompson, Northgate High clarinetist Erica Anstey, and Newnan High students Hannah Culbreath and Sam Sangster, who performed on the french horn and oboe, respectively. The four students have been nominated in music in their musical mediums, along with other Coweta students who have been nominated in music, theatre, mathematics, communicative arts, social studies sciences, technology, business and languages.

The nominees move on to state-level interviews held in January and February, which may land them a spot in the prestigious summer residential program for gifted and artistically talented high school scholars.

The students – who were among eight Coweta finalists who attended the program last year talked about the structure of Governor’s Honors and gave advice for the nominees’ upcoming interviews. Central Educational Center counselor Nora Ann Wood – who organizes the annual breakfast – is also working with Coweta County GHP coordinator Therese Reddekopp and others to provide mock interviews for the nominees to help them prepare.

This year’s nominees honored at Thursday’s breakfast, from each school, included:

Central Educational Center:

Ian Ronfeldt (East Coweta) - Executive Management

Matthew Willits (Northgate) - Technology

East Coweta High School

Stacie Evans - Biology

Tara Federico - Communicative Arts

Victoria Lara - Communicative Arts

Ann Marie Meeker - Dance

Ashlee Mullins - French

Sangkyun Byun - Mathematics

Keeley Thompson - Music

Rachel Pearson - Music

Sam Sangster - Music

Tyler Insolia - Social Studies

Dixie Currey - Theatre

Isaac Epps - Theatre

Madison Kuhne - Theatre

Alex Naughton - Theatre

Molley Blakeley - Visual Arts

Hank Dobbs - Visual Arts

Monique Terrell - Visual Arts

Newnan High School

Thomas Schulz - Biology

Michelle Burston - Chemistry

Nikita Patel - Chemistry

Hannah Thomas - Communicative Arts

Emily Hinely - French

Anna Haydon - Mathematics

Hannah Culbreth - Music

Gabrielle White - Music

Maycee Dukes - Music

Morgan Meacham - Music

Ashlee Grace Chitwood - Music

Lindsey Howell - Music

Kaitlenn Brown - Visual Arts

Caroline Flournoy - Visual Arts

Nicholas Petty - Visual Arts

Northgate High School

Tristan Horton - Biology

Haley Alain - Communicative Arts

Alexandra Reshetova - Dance

Christopher Foster - Mathematics

Emily Armstrong - Music

Sheridan Eastman - Music

Abby Mortensen - Music

Erica Anstey - Music

Katie Woody - Music

Kristina Giddens - Social Studies

Rona Wolfe - Theatre

Kaitie Seagraves - Theatre

Georgia Cyber Academy

Kaylin Wells – Communicative Arts

The Georgia Governor's Honors Program is a four-week, summer residential program for Georgia students, designed to provide intellectually gifted and artistically talented sophomores and juniors challenging and enriching educational opportunities not usually available during the regular school year.

During the four weeks of the program, students spend the mornings in their major area of nomination, exploring topics not usually found in the regular high school classroom. During the afternoons, students choose one of the other areas in which to study. The curriculum in all designed to challenge and engage Georgia’s brightest students. Evenings are filled with seminars, activities, concerts, and performances.

Activities provide each participant with opportunities to acquire the skills, knowledge, and attitudes to become independent, life-long learners. The Georgia Governor's Honors Program is fully funded by the Georgia General Assembly and operates at no cost to participants.